Author: matthewephotography@yahoo.com
Image credit: Marvel Comics When the original Ultimate Spider-Man was released at the turn of the century, I was there from the beginning. The Ultimate Marvel Universe was a huge success, eliminating the complex decades of continuity that dragged down the original Marvel Universe and retelling the story from the beginning with a modern, modern feel to the existing characters. Particularly with the Spider-Man titles, which were great for younger readers but were so well written and plotted that they were able to bring back older readers who had forgotten about them as well. Over the next few decades, the…
Image credit: Portal Comic A small group of talented young mercenaries try to earn a living despite the threat of bandits and rivals. Meanwhile, a dark prophecy seems to be coming true, with the ever-present danger of shifting loyalties and betrayal. In a world where magic and monsters are a reality, danger lurks around every corner and tragedy can strike when you least expect it. This first issue of a five-issue story (more issues are planned after this chapter) wastes no time in shocking readers with quick betrayal and death in the opening sequence, before a flash-forward introducing the main…
Image credit: DC Comics I’ve been slowly working my way through DC’s Absolute series of comics, and I’ve been impressed with each one so far. I started with Absolute Martian Manhunter, which was very strange, very experimental, and very clever, and then moved on to Absolute Batman, Absolute Superman, and Absolute Wonder Woman. While each piece exceeded my expectations, I’ll admit that by the end of the first Absolute Martian Manhunter story arc, the straight-faced mean spirit had worn me out somewhat. Moving on to Absolute Green Lantern, this first issue is a brilliantly written and often surprising story. Hal…
Welcome to this week’s Beat’s Comic Crowdfunding Roundup! 100 FAQs about manga production Original author: Sherry Bond (writer/creator)Goal: $5,000End date: February 22, 2026Bonus: Get a digital copy for $10, a physical copy for $15, or a retail bundle for $60. Know the basics. Avoid failure. Veteran comics editor Shelly Bond brought something truly unique to Roundup with this project. The title itself speaks for itself, but doesn’t fully capture the enormous amount of work behind it. Drawing on decades of experience from the start of his career in 1987 to the present, Bond offers readers the opportunity to learn first-hand…
Image credit: Valiant/Acclaim They say you should never judge a book by its cover, but we manga readers have been ignoring that rule since the dawn of media. But this time it applies. Behind this horrifying cover that showcases the worst excesses of mid-’90s comics (and a depiction of Bloodshot that would almost feel right at home on the cover of a Rob Liefeld comic) lies a decent second part that does a great job of making the rampaging vampires feel perfectly at home in Bloodshot’s nanite-powered world. It also leads to a really weird next story arc. This is…
Walt Disney alumnus and debut comic book writer Chris Yates teams up with Simone Ragazzoni, an up-and-coming artist known for his work on Robotech: Rick Hunter, Power Rangers Universe, and Dune: Corino House, to launch his first creator-owned series, Marcus Walker: Kingslayer Protocol. The project launched exclusively on Kickstarter on March 3rd and is already gaining traction thanks to endorsements and variant covers from major brands across the industry. The campaign features one-of-a-kind covers by New York Times bestselling authors Sean Murphy (Batman: White Knight, Tokyo Ghost) and Rob Guillory (Chew, Farmhand), as well as Siya Aum (Lady Mechanica, Neo-Wonderland)…
Image credit: Valiant/Acclaim In the mid-’90s, the comic book industry was in a strange place. By 1995, the speculative bubble had burst, and gimmick-driven covers, heavy printing, and a focus on style over substance sealed the fate of the industry. The recovery took years, reaching a low point around 1996, but Valiant’s acquisition by video game publisher Acclaim occurred right in the middle of the comic book crash. Their reboot of the Valiant series (under the weird Birthquake branding, with a story that never spanned between series, even though the branding seems to suggest otherwise) with a more modern-looking comic…
Image credit: IDW Comics Fourth wall breaking, self-referential dialogue, and even a mention of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia? Simply put, this is the fourth issue of the TMNT multiverse mashup, Battle Nexus. Donatello confronts his own creation, the robot turtle Metalhead. However, rather than the exact metal head that this particular Donatello created, we need some of his legendary “Donatello controls machines” skills. Can he become the first Turtle to overcome Savanti Romero’s challenge? Or is he destined to suffer the same fate as his brothers? Of course, there’s a backup story, but it’s just as silly and funny…
Image credit: Jason Brown, midlifegamergeek.com It’s capoeira warrior Elena’s turn to get the Street Fighter Masters treatment. In this issue, Elena invites her friends Ibuki and Makoto to an African village, only to learn that her parents have contracted with a shady construction company to build a giant arena in the area. When she is suspected of cheating, she is drawn into a fighting tournament in a new arena, and she and her friends are forced to stop the exploitation of their people. This is the usual fast-paced, light-hearted fun you’ve come to expect from UDON’s long-running comic Street Fighter.…
Image credit: Jason Brown, midlifegamergeek.com Harley and Elvira somehow team up with Power Girl and enlist her help when a super-powered clown hater is cornered. Yes, this is another review. Because I love this fourth-wall-breaking, dual-intent crossover variety of covers. The comic itself continues to be a bit disappointing. The only reason is that the art is still a little inconsistent (though co-writer Amanda Conner has a few great pages), and the endless puns and references are tiresome. Especially since they’re rarely interesting (Red Tool, for example, always felt like the laziest dig at Marvel without a mouth). Image credit:…